Valve



Y INVENTOR.

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A TTORNEYl May 19, 1925.

E. F. NEDECKEN VALVE Filed Nov. 5, 1924 Mama- Patented May 19,1925.

' UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

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, Application med November 8, I1924. I Serial No. 748,510.y

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. NIEDECKEN, a citizen of the'United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the countyof Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves, of

which the following is a specification, referv movement or play of the valves with respect to the latter to compensate for any inaccuracy in workmanship and fitting so that 4the packing rings or gaskets for the valves close evenly and tightly upon their res ective seats. One of the valves above referre to admits cold water to the valve casin while the other valve admits hot water t creto, the valves being so formed and arranged that upon actuation in a givendirection of the operating yoke the amount of cold water admitted to the casing gradually decreases while the amount of hot water gradually inereases, the sum of the two remaining substantially constant. Movement of the yoke in the opposite direction produces an opposite result, the amount of hot water then decreasing while the amount of cold water increases.

It has been found from ex erience that although there may be consi erable pressure on the supply side of the valves referred to above, they sometimes stick or freeze to their seats sufficiently to resist this pressure to unseat them, especially where the device remains idle for any great length of time. When this sticking of thevalves occurs,l the hot water valve will not begin to open until the operating yoke has been moved a sufficient distance axially to take up the loose fit. between itself and thel valve. The result of this action is that the cold Water' valve is open too f ar before the hot water valve starts to open. lWhen th', operatmg yoke does engage the hot water valve and starts 1t from'its seat, the water immediately forces the valve upwardly against the yoke, allowing a comparatively large amount of hot water to rush into the valve casing, causin the temperature of the stream at the dlscharge side of the casing to lncrease too rapidly. The ring or gasket for the hot water valve, furthermore, has been found to wear away more rapidly than the gasket for the cold water valve, the result being that' in time the valves do not seat properly. To allow for this-unequal wearing away of the gaskets, the iit between kthe 'valve stems and operating yoke hasbeen made loose enough to permit of a greater amount of movenient or play of the valves. This ractice, however, has been found to be undes1rable for the reason that there is then so much play of the valves that the same are caused to vibrate and give rise to an.

undesirable humming or buzzing sound.

One of the objects of the present invention, therefore, is' to vprovide an improved construction and arrangement of parts whereby all objectionable looseness between a valve and the actuating member therefor will be eliminated without interfering with the play between the valve and operating member necessary to its proper seating.

Another object is to provide improved means to compensate forl the loose fit betweenl the valve stems-and operating yoke of a mixing valve of the type shown in my Patent No. 1,054,023, without losing any of theadvantages of the loose lfit betweenV Y I the valve stems and yoke.-

Another object is to provide improved meanslto compensate for'any looseness between a'valve and its actuator' which 1s simple, readily applied and which may be economically manufactured. A

Other objects and dvantages will hereinafter appear.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the same is shown and described as applied to a mixing valve constructed in accordance with the disclosureof Letters Patent No, 1,054,023. The invention of course is not limited to this particular appli cation, but is well adapted for use in connection with valves of various other kinds.

Referring now more particularly tothe drawings,

Figure 1 is a central vertical section throu h a mixing valve of the construction descri ed in my above patent, showing the improved compensating means applied there- -seat 3 and provided with passages 8` ar- `2ranged to admit cold water through a supply connection 9 into the valve casing. The

graduating plug 7 is provided with a Stem 10 1loosely fitted through one arm of a supporting yoke 11 to leave an appreciable space such as at 12 between stem 10 and the yoke. A screw 13 is threaded into the upper end of stem 10 to hold the valve in posltion upon the yoke. l

In the valve as shown in my patent 4above identified, the length of stem `10 is substantially equal to the thickness of the arm of yoke 11, so that the head of screw 13 contacts with the upper face of the yoke arm.

In accordance with the present invention, it is contemplated to so construct stem l10 as to provide an ap reciable space between the head thereof an the yoke when the parts are operativel positioned, and to insert between the hea and oke a compensating element as and for the purposes hereinafter described.

A graduating lug 14 is slidable throu h seat 2 and provi ed with a stem 15 loose y tted to the opposite arm of yoke 11, plu 14 being rovi ed with assages 16 arrange to admit ot Water to t e valve casing from a supply connection 17. This side ofthe mixing valve is similar to the cold water side and valve therefor, and is only' referred to 'for the purpose of showing the manner in which my improved compensating means may be applied to the mixing valve descrlbed in my above patent.

Referring more particularly to Fi 3, the compensating means, as preferab y constructed, comprises a coil spring 18 having two coils 19 and 20 and an axially'oliset portion 21, the ends 22 of the spring fitting the opposite sides of the offset portion, as shown, so that the coils lie in parallel lanes. A spring made in this manner isat at both ends so that substantially the entire amount of each coil `19 and 20 contacts with the respective parts vto be pressed apart, as hereinafter more fully explained. The advantage of constructin spring 18 in this manner wlll presently be o vious.

As shown in Fig. 2, spring 18 is arranged upon stem 10 between the yoke arm and the head of screw 13, the spring being compressed between these parts. A` similar, spring 23 is arranged upon stem 15 between the o posite yoke arm and the head of screw 24. ubstantially the entire portion of each coil 19 and 20 engages the adjacent surfaces of the head of screw 13 and the yoke arm, respectively. There -is therefore a uniform` pressure over substantially the entire under face of the screw head. In this manner, stem 10 is urged upwardly in an axial direction and prevented from skewing out of alignment with the vertical.`

From the foregoing it will be seen that by arran ing resilient elements such as springs 18 and23 upon the valve stems 10 and 15, respectively, 1n the manner above described, vertical looseness of the valve stems with respect to the actuating yoke is overcome. The valves are thus made to follow exactly the opening and closing movements of the yoke without interfering with the desired lateral freedom of movement or lay of the valves to permit proper seating t ereof. It is thereby possible to vary the temperature of the water at the dischar e side of the casing gradually and smoothly without losing any of the advanta es of the loose lit between the valves an operating yoke therefor. The improved com ensatlng means also'prevents vibration o the valve stems and the consequent humming or buzzing sound.

Various changes in structure and arran ement of the parts may be made without eparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

The invention claimed is- 1. The combination with a valve having a stem, and an actuating member therefor said stem loosely-fitting said member, o means arranged `and adapted to cause said valve to follow exactlythe openingv and closing movements of said member while permitting lateral freedom of movement of said valve with respect to said member.'

2. The combination with a valve having a stem, and an actuating member therefor, said stem loosely fitting said member, of a 'spring arranged upon said stem and adapted to cause said valveto follow exactly the eol opening and closing movements of said member while permitting play of said valve with respect to said member.

3. The combination with a valve havin a stem, f and an actuating member there or, said stem loosely fitting said member, of means arranged and adapted to cause said valve to follow exactly the opening and closlng movements of said member while permltting play of said valve with respect to said member, said meanscomprising a coil spring olfset intermediate its ends with the latter terminating adjacent said offset portion in such wise that the outer coils of said ber and adapted to cause said valve to follow spring lie in parallel planes. exactly the openin and closing movements 4. The combination with a valve having a of said member w ile permitting play of 10` stem provided with a head, and an actuatmg said valve with respect to said member. 5 member therefor, saidstem loosely Afitting In 'witness whereof I hereto aix my sigsaid member, of resilient means arranged nature.

upon said stem between said head and mem- EDWARD F. NIEDECKEN. 

